Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-02-27
A run,LLrko NARRATIVE.
Graphic story or the Wreck Of the
"Keifawe-ras-

"HeiIawe-ra="
Particulars are now TO hand by the
Australian mail OF the terrible disaster
of the New South Wales coast on the
gth of December, when the steamers
Keilawarra and Helen Nicoll came
into violent collision, the Helen Nicoil
striking the X 1lawarra on the port bow,
crushing her forehold, aud knocking
down. Il is supposed, at the same time,
the fore watering htoompartment Cap
tain Huttrey, says the Melbourne Argus,
vas ON the bridge of the Keilawarra ut
lie time of the collision. In the midst
of all the confusion and the heart
rcnding scene the Captain never left
he place on the bridge. At the last
cment, when he knew that the vessel
was on the point of being engulfed, he
rcsred the Others to leave the ship as
quickly as possible, and went down
With those who were left on board, and
vlcm he was pOwerless to assist. The
4, ilayarra sank within ten minutes
alter she was struck, and altogether
fCiy-three lives were lost, including
twenty-five Of the passengers and seven
tGtn of the crew of the Kellawarra, and
one Of the passengers and three OF the
crew of the Helen Nicoll.
The Melbourne Daily Telegraph
contains a number of thrilling nara
,ives by some of the survivors. We
give that of Alick Matthews, a young
man who was a steerage passenger IN
the KeilawaTa
About 3 o'clock on Tuesday eve
ming was on deck. IL was clear,
beautiful night. Il was too early to
turn in, and suggested to another man
that we should go below and have
read. We went below. / got daily
paper. and then heard frightful
crash on the por&side of the ship,
Wien ! got on deck the whole port side
Of the vessel, near the steerage, seemed
to come away, and a frightful jagged
hole was left. saw the bow of another
ship upon US. The people commenced
to Jump off her into our vessel. Six or
seven must have jumped upon our
deck, and a greater number were, l be-
lieve, drowned. l left the Storage
part of the ship and ran to the saloon.
The passengers were crowdlng up the
companion stairs, men in their shirts,
and after them women and children,
some partly dressed, others almost I'M
covered. The Captain was giving or
ders, and they we're trying to lower
dluey. As soon as they succeeded in
swinging her round, so that she hung
Over the sea, tremendous number OF
men jumped into her. Panic seized
all. They hustled and crowded into her.
Iheard the Captain cry out: "Shame on
You, men have you no thought for
women?" | saw knots of women and
children clinging to each other and
PRAYING to be saved. They tried to
lover it, and as l saw that it was every
one Tor himself as the boat went rock
inc down from the davits | jumped and
fell into it but it was only for sec
ond. With a wild shrek from the mass
Of rBon crowded one on top Of the other
in the boat she turned turtle, and We
wee left struggling for life in the
water: hut some one threw down a
rCIo from the deck, and clam
bdtd up, glad to be back upon
the sinking ship. Women rushed
to me and chung to me, and
paved me in Gods name to save them.
Little children, some quite naked, were
running shrieking with fear about the
deck. Some were clinging to their
mothers so tightly that they could not
be torn away. Oh! / cannot describe
it to you. 1t was terrible. shall never
forget those poor women and children.
/ could do nothing for them, and
thought we must all drown together.
Some women were calling piteously on
God for mercy to them and their
little ones, and others were crying
and sobbing and imploring the
cartain TO save them or their
children. As the water came on
deck some. with terrible cries, were
swept overheard. | clambered up on
something four or six feet above the
docl. Women came around and held
MP their arms and begged me to draw
them up. knelt down. | drew one
up Is well as ] could with the water
washing over the deck. She chung to
me and asked me to save her. As We
stood there together | looked to the
captain who was upon the bridge. He
bad been there, / think, all the time.
They were lowering the starbOard boat
and We hoped to get off in her. They
seemed to make a mess of the Job. The
boat Lung from the dayits about half
way down. Then she went over |
thought that now our last chance had
gone.
\ few seconds afterwards ] saw
boat passing on the starbOad side full
Of men. The Captain, from the bridge,
called out to us: "FOr Gods sake,
Jump" For one moment / looked
round, and did not care TO leave the wo-
men helpless; but ! saw the water rush
ing into the engine-rOOm. 1t was my
only choice, and l jumped overheard.
| don't know how long it was, but it
seemed to me an age that | swan on.
Whenever ] raised my head well above
the water heard the awful cries Of those
on the sinking ship. As | swan |
saw the heads of several men in
the water, but saw no women or chill
dren At last, just as l was beginning
to feel exhausted, | saw q round life
belt with a man chnging to it. | grasp
ed it. The man said {: " Let go [ cant
swim let me have it," / said " am
done; must have it too" l held on
to it as we'll as / could. | struck out
with the other hand for the boat. L
rot it, and they pulled me i'll. We
picked up a child clinging to bag OF
chat. One woman we got aboard. She
WIS unconscious. She and her husband
had been clinging together, but he had
no more strength, and had to let go.
As we were pulling the boat some
one in her cried out: "For Gods sake,
pull away, or We are lost. He meant
| that the sinking vessel would engulf us
/ looked around and | saw the ship
standing straight upon her end. Then,
with an awful shrek from those on
board, she plunged right down. There
was "a sort of gulf of water, and then
everything was perfectly still. There
was no more shrieking or crying. We
pulled to the ship. The last | saw of
the Captain he was standing upon the
bridge That last shrek from the YES
sci as she went head first under the
water made my blood run cold. 1t is
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